Cultivating Self, Family, Community

It’s not a large space. It’s really not in any way fancy. Hell, it’s not usually even clean.

But it is a sacred space.

I’ve always lived in small, urban spaces like apartments or small houses. It has only been in recent months that I have come to appreciate the fact that even in such close quarters, there is always an opportunity to create some refuge that is comfy, safe, and that soothes our spirits when we take the time to occupy it.

Perhaps it is a neglected part of the living room that can be filled with good books and cozy blankets to encourage more reading time. Or a sunny spot in the kitchen perfect for that weekend tea or coffee break. For us, it’s been a corner of our porch where we were able to cram in a few veggie plants and a secondhand picnic table that’s just the right size for my kiddos. Add a toddler-sized folding chair, and you would think we’d created a 5-star luxury resort out there. Even on our little sun-faded, sidewalk-chalked, peeled paint porch…we find peace.

In the end, it’s not about having an expansive meditation room or a pristine area for prayer and contemplation. These would be nice, but for some reason our landlord forgot to build them into our little apartment. The six of us and our various books, toys, instruments, and gadgets take up almost every inch of space in our home (we’ve left some room for the spiders and butterflies). So what we lack in breadth, we try to make up for in depth.

We figured, let’s layer this corner with as many valuable things as we can. So the space reflects our love of plant life, our desire to eat meals together, our reverence for sun and butterflies, our need to create art. Even though the space (like everywhere else) gets messy with use, we make an intentional effort to clean and clear it of clutter regularly so that it remains comfortable to be in. But what really makes the space sacred is what we do there: connect, reflect, meditate, read, soak up sun, pick basil and tomatoes for our dinner, take a moment to notice a butterfly leaving it’s cocoon.

It’s not a big, fancy, or particularly clean space. It’s just our space. And wherever we go, we will inevitably re-create it. Because ultimately, the sacred-ness is within us. It’s just nice to have at least one corner of our home dedicated to reminding us.

Where’s your small, sacred space? If you don’t have one yet, can you create it today?